Football training machine



`A. F. DENBY Filed March 5, 1946 2 SheetsSheet 1L FOOTBALL TRAINING MACHINE .April 27, 1948.

April 27 1948 A. F. DENBY I l 2,440,577

i FOOTBAL;J TRAINING MACHINE Filed March 5, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet? Y Inventar Patented Apr. 27,v 1948 i FGOTBHEELTRAINING Erankrnenby, Hackensack, N25 J.

Appllcatibn Marchi, 191`6QSerial No'. 651;995L

'among its `features a:V tra-cli adapted to" be em'- lbedd'edfirr the ground :with Vtsftop fiush with-V the suriace'thereof; a carriage. -movable ralongfthe track; a spring yieldingly 'to hold" the' carriage `near on'eend oftlieftraclr; a` column rising from 'the carriage and` ay yielding' pad Ycarried bytiie column against which' a playerY in' traning'may place a portion of his anatomy to 'movetlie' car'- riage againstthespring. l

having a longitudinalslot therein; transversely slidingA plates'yieldingly heldin' slot clbsingposition; and` means operable 'upon' movementiof une carriage i'rv parting; the transversely movable fplateszin advance of tlievmovementofthe column along tliesloti A Figure' 1 is a'.' top plan view of a' football' train"- ing machine embodying the' features' oi tliisf'inL vention,

Figure 2 Vis: a .lcngitudinalsectional' viewl taken substantially on the liney 'li-'fifof'lii'gurev 1",

Figure1i3 is'a fragmentary'sectional' viewtak'en substantially on the line 3"'-3"of'li'igurer 2,'V

Figure 4 is' a fragmentary enlarged plan view of the track; showing; portions" broken` awaytfo more' clearly illustrate' the details oi"'construcclimi r Y Figure 5 isaf 'transverse' sectional. viewta l`en substantially on'tlie line 5;-5of"'Figure 1 on' a slightlyfenlargedscala Figure 6'is a fragmentary enlarged sectional View taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 1,

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of the carriage, and

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view through a modied form of track.

Referring to the drawings, my improved training machine includes a track designated generally I5 which comprises a transversely U-shaped box-like structure I6, the upper side edges of which support a cover I1 provided with a longitudinally extending slot I8. Extending inwardly from the side Walls of the trough or U-shaped track I6 in spaced relation to the bottom wall 5 claims. (clams -553VE 2 tnereofarehori'zcntally'extending'fianges I9? Aand welded or otherwise rigidly xed in spaced parallelrelation to the bottomofthe trackarer guide rails 201 Formedfat spaced intervais'fintiie side wallsof" the boxelilie'` track-r 'structure- IlIkare aligningj apertures 21c the purpose" ofwhich will more fully hereinafter appear;

Mounted for longitudinal' movementl in the vtrackv 'I5 is; aA carriage. designated generally 22 Wliierifcomprises" arr invertedcliannel section '231, theside flanges.y of which, are merced' to receive axles-`2l lupforrthe outerend's ofwhich are'ilxed rollersZS Tliese'rollersare of'a diametert'oride on the'b'ottomwall ofthebox-likel track-body, I 6 and just'beneath' the' underside' of. the inwardly `extending flanges* I9 so asrtorpreventthe carria'ge' from-tilting; Rising' frorntliebed'orcliam nel'23o`f 'the carriage' 22 isa `centrallydi..`sposed column 26* carryingfnear itsIOWer-iend and just b'ell'lw "the underside ofthe-cover II" ofithetrack I5 a shoe 2I the oppositeAY endsV oi* which are pointed for a purpose to be morel fullyhereifnafter dcscribedi Pivotallysupported* as at 21 on the" column` 26 above. the* trackl* is a yoke 2'8"carryimga't the end? opposite `it's-pivoted end a base" 29 which normally extends substantially paralleli to` the longitudir'ial: axis ofy the column" 26 and'iis provided 'with' a' suitable pau 30 on' "itsouter 'exposedi face. A pair` ofi` outwardly'extendingH bracketsL 3i" are supported near tlie'upper free endoffthecolumn 265 andn seate'd on these brackets` and. bearing against tireinner face 'off the "basei '29 area come pression coil springs 3i. which- `yi'eldingly urged tii'e free end of* tle `base `29Laway from' the col"- -umm A stopf38l'is attachedlto-eachside yiaceof the column 26"`in aposition* to 'engage opposite arms ofi the yoke" 28* to limit the' movementI` `of the pad: Strundertlieiniluencefofrtlie"b spr-ings 32.

Carried attoneenrlJ of the'carri-agezi is` a link 3i* to` oneend of"A whiciia: retractile coili spring 35 is attached while the opposite end of said spring is connected to a suitable bolt 36 carried by the end Wall of the box-like body I6 of the track I5.

Formed at spaced intervals on opposite sides of the slot I8 in the cover plate Il are internally screw threaded openings for the reception of guide bolts 31 which extend through slots 38 to slidingly support transversely movable closure plates 39 which are adapted to close the slot I8 as illustrated in Figures 1 and 6. Each of these plates is provided on its underside with a depending ear 40 which is .pierced to receive a push rod 4I the opposite end of which extends through one of the openings 2I and cooperates with the the center of the track. It will thus be seen that the slot |8,wil1 be closed by the plates 39 so as to prevent the cleats commonly employed on the shoes of football players and like athletes, from getting caught in` the slot in the track.

In the modiiied form'of the structure illustrated in Figure 8' the track designated generally by the numeral 43 and comprises a transversely rectangular body 44 having branches 45 and 46 at one end, and carrying on the bottom Wall guide rails 41 which correspond in all respects to the guide rails 20 previously referred to. It is to be understood of course that the upper side of the boxlike structure 44 is closed by a cover plate in all respects corresponding to the cover plate I1 and that the slots therein may be closed by closure plates corresponding in allrespects to the plate 39.

In use a player in training will place his shoulder against the pad 36 and push the carriage 22 along'the track against the tension of the spring 35. As the carriage advances the member 2l engages the depending lugs 40, thus causing the plates 39 to slide transversely and open the slot i8 to permit the passage of the column 26 therealong. The tipping of the column is prevented by engagement rof the Wheels 25 with the flanges I9 and the bottom of the body I6 .and in this way the leg muscles and other parts of the anatomy of the player may be properly conditioned.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

l. In a football training machine, a track adapted to be embedded in the ground with its vtop flush with the surface of the ground, a carriage movable along the track, a spring yieldingly holding the carriage near one end of the track, a column. rising from the carriage and a yielding pad carried on the column against which a player in training places a portion of his\anatomy to move the carriage against the spring.

2. In a football training machine, a track adapted to be embedded in the ground With its top iiush with the surface of the ground, av cover iclosing the upper side of the track, said cover .4 a player during training places a portion Vof his anatomy to move the carriage against the spring. 3. In a football training machine, a track adapted to be embedded in the ground with its top flush with the surface of the ground, a cover closing the upper side of the track, said cover having a longitudinal slot therein, a carriage movable longitudinally of the track beneath the cover, a column rising from the carriage and extending through the slot, a spring yieldingly holding the carriage and the column near one end of the track, a yielding pad against which a -player during training places a portion of his anatomy to move the carriage against the spring, transversely sliding plates to close the slot in the cover on opposite sides of the column and means to move the plates to clear the slot as the carriage moves in the track.

, 4." In a football training machine, a track adapted to be embedded in the ground with its top flush with the surface of the ground, a cover n closing the upper side of the track, said. cover having a longitudinal slot therein, a carriage movable longitudinally of the track beneaththe cover, a column rising from ther carriage and extending through the slot, a spring yieldingly holding the carriage and the column near'one end of the track, Va yielding pad against Which a player during .training places a portion of his anatomy to move Ythe carriage against the spring, transversely sliding plates mounted on the underside of the cover to close the slot therein, yielding means holding the plates in slot closing position and means operable upon movement ofthe carriage longitudinally of the track to slidetlie plates against the yielding means and openthe slot in the track. Y

5. In a football training machine, a track adapted to be embedded in the ground .with its top ush with the surface of the ground, a cover closing the upper side of the track,said cover having a longitudinal slot therein, a carriage movable longitudinallyy of the track beneath the cover, a column rising from the carriage and'extending through the slot, a spring yieldingly holding the carriage and the column near one end of the track, a yielding pad against which a player during training places a portion of his anatomy to move the carriage against the spring, transversely sliding plates mounted on the underside of the cover to close theslot therein, yielding :means holding the plates in slot closing position, means operable upon movement of the carriage longitudinally of'the track to slide the plates against the yielding means and open the slot in the track and a shoe carried by the carriage and operable upon longitudinal movement thereof for parting the plates as the carriage 'is moved longitudinally of the track. n l 

